Before Walmart

[amadeus]

This thread is making me feel old.

Do you feel like you're catching up with me yet?

 

[DuckieLady]

Hey I used to watch "All in the Family" when they were on prime time. Of course I also watched "Wagon Train" and the early half hour black and white "Gunsmoke" episodes on prime time. When I was in elementary school almost no one even owned a TV. The few that did could not get more than a couple of stations with only mediocre reception. I would listen to radio programs when I got home from school. Those were indeed "the days"... good or bad or... ?

No TV here. Suspense, Dragnet, Escape, CBS Radio Mystery Theater are all popular here.
Dad is a collector.

Good days. Those are good days.

 

[amadeus]

Piggly Wiggly used to own their own distribution centers that also fed Red and White stores and a few others...

Now all gone.

We never shopped at Piggly Wiggly but we saw them around the San Jose, CA area...

 

[amadeus]

I don't blame you. I avoid cities as much as possible. I am content to stay home and I very much dislike the new world order store ....walmart. (lol) I was talking with my husband the other day how that I haven't eaten McDonald's food for ....goodness, probably 10 years or so. It's been much longer since I've eaten Burger King...ever since they started those nasty pedo commercials.

I used to stop in at McDonalds to get one of their hot cherry pies for my wife. After they messed that simple order about 3 times I started going to Arby's for their turn overs.

When my best friend was living I would go with him McDonalds for a snack while we sat and talked about the Bible and things of God. My wife refused to eat anything from there but their pies and their french fries so we never went there. Now that my friend is gone, I never go there any more even though it is close to us.

 

[amadeus]

No TV here. Suspense, Dragnet, Escape, CBS Radio Mystery Theater are all popular here.
Dad is a collector.

Good days. Those are good days.

I have lots of good memories of getting home from school turning on the radio and laying down on the floor to listen to the Green Hornet, The Shadow, The Lone Ranger and many others.

 

[JohnDB]

Doctor Dimento show was on every Sunday night...

Hamster Love
Dead dog rover
Gotta get a fake ID
And many many more.

 

[DancesWithGnostics]

Kroger's

Gibson's

Piggly Wiggly

 

[marksman]

THe old brain box started thinking. If you lived before Walmart darkened your doors, did you live in say 1950BW not 1950AD.?

 

[Brakelite]

There's only two things I miss from the "old days". One, the smell of fresh coffee beans in the local grocery store. There were about ten different bins with exotic names and they all had an individual aroma, (and when buying a bag for mum and dad of their favorite bean, my nose found itself returning to said bag all the way home)
but together, in the store, even for an 8yo such as myself, was like heaven.
The second thing I miss, and not so old, is the bean salad from KFC. It was regularly the only thing I bought from there and was so disappointed and annoyed it disappeared.
The biggest department store I remember as a child was called Farmers, and it was in Auckland NZ. It covered five stories, had escalators everywhere, lifts, it's own playground, adjacent to a cafeteria and another on the roof, a bridge to access the three story carpark on another block, and a place for any kid to marvel and get lost. It's still there. Would only get to visit once a year at Christmas, the store itself had a Christmas parade that thousands attended, and they had a giant Santa Claus standing outside on the corner of the building. Amazing this has survived for over 60 years.

 

[Brakelite]

There's only two things I miss from the "old days". One, the smell of fresh coffee beans in the local grocery store. There were about ten different bins with exotic names and they all had an individual aroma, (and when buying a bag for mum and dad of their favorite bean, my nose found itself returning to said bag all the way home)
but together, in the store, even for an 8yo such as myself, was like heaven.
The second thing I miss, and not so old, is the bean salad from KFC. It was regularly the only thing I bought from there and was so disappointed and annoyed it disappeared.
The biggest department store I remember as a child was called Farmers, and it was in Auckland NZ. It covered five stories, had escalators everywhere, lifts, it's own playground, adjacent to a cafeteria and another on the roof, a bridge to access the three story carpark on another block, and a place for any kid to marvel and get lost. It's still there. Would only get to visit once a year at Christmas, the store itself had a Christmas parade that thousands attended, and they had a giant Santa Claus standing outside on the corner of the building. Amazing this has survived for over 60 years. View attachment 13182

I still remember some guy announcing whatever floor you were arriving at... Each floor being a different department... toys and children's wear... Boys and Menswear... Girls and Women's... Etc etc. Does that still happen anywhere? Was that someone's first job before becoming a radio newsreader?

 

[Brakelite]

We don't have Walmart here in Australia or NZ. my only knowledge of walmart is from the crazy you tube videos of the weird people and crazy goings on that take place there. Seems like a magnet for idiocy.

 

[Taken]

Before Walmart
OP^

Before Walmart-
K-mart;
Sears;
JC Penney;
Target;
And their Asian Imports.

Walmart entering the game later, also contracted with Asian Suppliers.

1980's...
•big buzz about China's paying employees so little...as compared to the US...
•No buzz...American workers paid more...AND cost of living Higher in US than China.
•Big buzz...BUY American

Walmart- jumps on the Buzz band-wagon, in "advertisements" TO THE PUBLIC -BUY AMERICAN!

Walmart- in the Boardroom...
Hires a "Middleman"...
George Billingsley...
Walmart increases Asian imports while continuing;
Public touting; Buy American

Walmart- in the Boardroom...
Expand imports FROM CHINA.
"Middleman"; Billingsley
Contacts with a China "Middleman"; Charles Wong.

Billingsley and Wong establish:
Pacific Resources Exports Limited
^Exclusive^ agents for Walmart!

Walmart- advertisements Splash
BUY AMERICAN...
While- Expanding their Asian and China "middleman" operations.

Nothing New...in Dirty Deeds of Seeking the almighty Dollar!
Wave the American flag, sing the jingle, sell patriotic products...
While "middleman" behind the doors, wheeling and dealing, "your Dirty Works" ...that shows no connection to Your Name!

Nothing NEW, in big business, or FYI, In Government!

Wave the Patriot Flag IN the Public...
"while IN the Shadows secure the middleman; and hire, fund, support, their corrupt Dirty Works"...
"Then Claim...they work for YOUR Good"!

Underhandedness...is NEVER for the People's good!

 

[Hidden In Him]

Do you feel like you're catching up with me yet?

No, but the fact that I'm even in the race is disturbing enough, LoL.

 

[Hidden In Him]

The second thing I miss, and not so old, is the bean salad from KFC. It was regularly the only thing I bought from there and was so disappointed and annoyed it disappeared.

We had one of two KFCs here and I loved them, but then both shut down for some unknown reason. Then when one of them finally opened up again I was delighted, but as it turns out, I think they use more low grade, trashy chicken now, because the quality doesn't seem near as good, and their prices are low compared to all the other chicken fast food places here.

That's a bummer, because I always thought the original KFC recipe was excellent.

 

[JohnDB]

KFC was pepsico... until it got spun off with the other restaurants into Yum food brand...

It has several others like taco bell...(I remember when they really had a bell at the top and everything was deep fried in coconut oil)

KFC was fried in lard in pressure fryers...

Stuff was good too. It would kill ya but it tasted great.

 

[mailmandan]

KFC was pepsico... until it got spun off with the other restaurants into Yum food brand...

It has several others like taco bell...(I remember when they really had a bell at the top and everything was deep fried in coconut oil)

KFC was fried in lard in pressure fryers...

Stuff was good too. It would kill ya but it tasted great.

I remember KFC tasting so much better when I ate there back in the 70's and 80's. I think they actually used 11 herbs and spices back then. Today KFC is just not as good as it used to be.

 

[JohnDB]

I remember KFC tasting so much better when I ate there back in the 70's and 80's. I think they actually used 11 herbs and spices back then. Today KFC is just not as good as it used to be.

They went to various other oils by that point...80's or 90's was the change but many franchises didn't make the switch. And franchises often sought out other suppliers for groceries than the "approved" ones of today.

Today yum foods is making large margins on the food sold to the franchises to the point that franchises aren't making the profits they once did. And they never were that great to begin with.

 

[amadeus]

No, but the fact that I'm even in the race is disturbing enough, LoL.

Well let us not race to see who can last the longest, but very simply to make it to the end with our Lord!

"But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." Matt 24:13

 

[WaterSong]

Does anyone here remember what it was like before Walmart? I lived in California when I first heard of Walmart, but there was not a single Walmart store that I knew about in California itself. We had K-Mart we kind of watched from the distance as with the passage of time the demise of K-Mart before the onslaught of Walmart.

When I moved with my job to Wyoming in 1985, they had neither Walmart nor K-Mart. They did have one White Front a mini version of the two giants that also fell into the cracks some where along the way.

And then there was McDonald's. There were hamburger places, such a Foster's Old Fashioned Freeze, but then along came fast foot stores several different chains, McDonald's being only one of many. I remember when I had not been married long they had a price war among the fast foods restaurants like McDonald's. Henry's Hamburgers was one other name I recall. At one time the price of a regular hamburger dropped to 10 cents which was very cheap even for then. I am certain that the stores were losing money to sell at the price, but I guess their purpose was accomplished as a number of the fast food hamburger places were gone forever. Competition eliminated and the prices went back up to about 35 cents for a burger.

Welcome back. :)

Before Walmart? Oh yes, in my hometown there was the K-Mart. :) I got my first real job in their shoe department. Prior to that I was an Avon door to door sales girl/teen.
Years later, with the advent of the new Super Walmart K-Mart closed down.

Remember when Walmart first opened? Maybe in the hometowns of some here who can remember the, "MADE IN AMERICA", signs that were hanging from the ceilings and over all departments.

And the check-out policy sign at every register. If more than 3 people are waiting in line another register will open immediately.

After Sam Walton died, those signs came down all over the nation.
Not long ago the Walton family sold their American holdings of all Walmart interests, Sams Club, etc... to CHINA! Making world history in a company sale. More than half a trillion dollars.

Half
a
trillion
dollars! More than 5 hundred billion.
From China.

 

[amadeus]

I do, too. It was fully dedicated to Christian products only. Ours got pushed out when a bigger, flashier Mardel was built. But Mardel is mostly dedicated to craft products. It's like they tried to emulate Hobby Lobby, but with a full-blown Christian section.

But in the end it doesn't feel the same. It's like Walmart, slash Hobby Lobby, slash Family Christian Bookstore, Lol.

Yes, we used to go to Mardell's in Oklahoma City once in a while when we were able to go there to visit family and for a pleasant meal at a restaurant they did not have at home. We stopped those trips a few years back as family members died and we grew physically tired. This past year even when a first cousin with whom I was always very close died with the Covid-19 we did not even attend his funeral.